This invention relates to ethanol production.
Ethanol is presently produced in substantial quantities by fermenting molasses in the presence of a suitable yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These yeasts are able to effect a conversion of hexose sugars in the molasses to ethanol. However, the yeasts are not capable of effecting conversion of the starch fraction and higher sugars in molasses to ethanol. The starch fraction and higher sugars which have a potential to be converted to ethanol are thus not utilised and report as waste products.